There is no scientifically defined way to practice "Gentle Parenting," and many specialist describe it quite differently. At Bunnies Ark, we see Gentle Parenting as parenting style that focuses on building a mutually respectful partnership between parent and child. It focuses on modeling the behavior that you want to showcase to your child. Coming from a place of empathy, with gentle parenting, parents often ask themselves, “am I treating my child how I would want to be treated?”
Some of the basis of gentle parenting is that your children mimic behaviors they are shown. When your children are watching and listening to others, they are learning how to behave, and what is normal behavior. One of the mothers who turned to gentle parenting said this about the parenting style, "I was previously very pro-spanking, until I saw my 14-month daughter innocently trying to spank me back. I stopped spanking, and sought communication. I realized, most of the time, I just didn't know what she needed. "
For all children, parents are usually the most influential role models. Gentle parenting style holds parental actions and behavior to a high standard. Everything we do and say is observed and absorbed by our children. In early childhood, parents are oftentimes communicating discipline to their children. "Don't stand on the chair!" "No!" "Eat your food!" "Stop!" Etc. A lot of that discipline language is also behavior communicated.
Language is one of the fundamental aspects that shape our children's personality and personal growth. As parents, our language towards our children may be filled with commands and control during discipline. Gentle parenting acknowledges that language impacts your child's behavior.
When commands don't work, some parents resort to light spanking and screaming as acceptable forms of discipline. When all hell breaks loose in a household, screaming and spanking sometimes feel like the only solution to calm the storm of parenthood.
With gentle parenting, we understand that a child's behavior is neither good nor bad, they are simply expressing. Since children emulate their parents behavior, a screaming parent may lead to a child screaming more as a learned behavior.
Part of being a good role model for your child as they learn right from wrong is showing to them positive behavior. Here are a few things that can help guide make this process smoother:
"No yelling? No spanking? So, how do you expect parents to discipline their children?" According to the experts, the first step to an effective discipline policy is a “positive, supporting, caring relationship” between the parent and the child. Little else matters to children unless they feel safe and secure.
The foundation of a parent-child connection should be love and respect, not the threat of violence or verbal attack. It is critical that your children, whether they are toddlers or teenagers, understand that you love and respect them. It will grow and strengthen their love and respect for you, making them more receptive and open to constructive direction and discipline rather than punishment.
Here are some ways parents can gently discipline kids in the right direction when they test limits.
Teach children how to respectfully express their thoughts and needs. One significant approach to do this is to simulate the desired behavior. When your child does anything wrong or you disagree with them, speak to them in a kind tone, be firm but kind when disciplining them, and never yell at or belittle them.
Make it clear what constitutes an "absolutely no-go zone." Make sure your children understand the rules. Tell them you're willing to listen to them if they believe regulation is unjust—as long as they talk to you respectfully. However, some laws, such as wearing a helmet while riding a bike, are non-negotiable and must be obeyed at all times.
Have a short conversation with your small child. Yes, a child needs to believe that their thoughts and feelings are being heard and that their parents are concerned about them.
However, going into a long explanation with a 5-year-old about why they need to go to bed early or why they shouldn't abruptly let go of your hand and run through a parking lot won't help. Your child won't be able to properly listen, understand the rule, and remember it the next time because of his or her developmental stage.
Giving them a penalty is a more effective strategy. Running in the parking lot, for example, may prevent you from getting them a favorite snack at the store. "You will take my hand as we walk from the car to the store," remind them instead.
Or tell your child that because they didn't get ready for bed on time, they won't receive an extra snuggle with you or a favorite goodnight tale. These strategies are far more likely to work with both younger and older school-aged children.
At the end of day, gentle parenting is going to require a lot of patience from both parents and children. As parents, you can't expect your children to understand immediately. It may time for mutual respect between you and your child to be established. Practice makes perfect, and setting boundaries, like anything else, may take a few tries before your child learns what is expected of them.
Here's what the experts have to say about how to put it into practice:
Gentle parenting works for many who want to respect their child's emotions and wants before establishing control as a parent. At the end of the day, no parenting style is better than another. It is meant to be informative for parents looking to explore others of child rearing. All that matters is you love your children beyond anything else.
]]>In order to make your home safe for infants or children, you must always sweat the small things, which include chemicals under the sink, sharp corners, laundry detergent pods, and even the electrical outlets that can be potential hazards for the little ones.
Another common household item that may not be on top of the mind for most people is the small button batteries inside the electronic devices. These coin-shaped batteries can be found in thermometers, remote controls, calculators and toys, etc.
Button batteries, also called coin cell batteries, are small round batteries that can be found in several small electronics, as most homes tend to use these small electronics. As the button batteries are very small in size, therefore, the risk of these batteries getting in the hands of infants who are curious and crawling can increase.
When these batteries contact the body fluids, they can generate a current that produces sodium hydroxide in small amounts, which is lye. If this battery gets stuck somewhere in the child's body, the lye can burn a hole at that spot. Normally, infection follows, and the result can be quite a serious injury or illness, long-term disability, and even death.
When a child ingests a button battery, the symptoms can either be absent or similar to that of a common infection. So, it can be challenging for the healthcare professionals to evaluate the child.
In case it is placed in the ear or nose, there might be pain or noticeable drainage. As the symptoms are not unique to the button battery injuries, and the parents may not see the child ahold of the battery, there can be a greater injury or a delayed diagnosis.
When it is in the esophagus, the lye that is produced by the electric current can produce burns at this site. Therefore, the esophagus and other structures in the chest can get damaged, including lungs, windpipe, and large blood vessels. Normally serious infections follow, and bleeding caused by the blood vessel damage can create a life-threatening emergency.
The parents and caregivers must never assume that every battery-powered product that enters the home is safe for children's use. There are many products in which a battery is accessible easily, and it can fall out when the particular product is dropped. Therefore, it is important for you to ensure that the battery compartments present in all electronic items are taped shut and secure.
When you replace a button battery, you have to make sure that it stops powering the device before running out of charge. A dead battery still has a charge that can be harmful to children if caught in their nose, ear, throat, or swallowing passage. So, the higher the voltage of the battery, the faster the injury.
The parents and caregivers need to be aware of the risk that the button batteries pose in their home. The loose and spare batteries must be locked away, and any product that uses the button batteries must be locked and kept out of reach of the curious children. The parents should also know what to do if the children manage to ingest one. Therefore, you should be talking to your pediatrician if you have any questions regarding your children's safety.
]]>The Benefits of Baby-led Weaning
If you’re looking to give your baby a proactive start in life — you should consider baby-led weaning. This feeding method skips ‘baby foods’ and goes straight into allowing the baby to eat soft foods when they’re ready. Clancy Cash Harrison, the author of Feeding Baby, describes the incredible benefits of this method: “Baby-led weaning supports the development of hand-eye coordination, chewing skills, dexterity, and healthy eating habits. It also offers babies an opportunity to explore the taste, texture, aroma, and color of a variety of foods."
Consider this before you start baby-led weaning
You should only consider baby-led weaning when your baby is prepared to make the transition. Here’s how you’ll know when your baby is ready: your baby should be able to properly hold their neck up and sit on their highchair on their own. You also want to make sure that your baby has the ability to move their jaw up and down. While there’s no specific age that acts as a benchmark to begin this method, most babies will show signs of readiness anywhere between six to twelve months old.
While it can feel like a scary leap to go directly from breastfeeding to feeding your child actual foods, it’s completely safe to do so. You should begin the journey of baby-led weaning with soft foods that can be easily swallowed such as pieces of banana or avocado. It’s important that you start with simple foods that contain very little ingredients so you can identify if your child has any food allergies right away. After your child gets used to feeding themselves, you can slowly implement other foods like pasta and chicken. Babies are not able to properly process excess salt or spices — so please keep their food a little more bland than you would like your own to taste.
Baby-led weaning is a wonderful way to kickstart your child’s cognitive development. You may even be surprised by your infant’s remarkable capabilities! As a parent, it’s a great decision to begin challenging your child from a young age so they can prepare for whatever obstacles life throws their way.
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